Acoustic construction



Sept. 4, 1934. R. IRVIN ACOUSTIC CONSTRUCTION Filed. Jan.

Ellmlull@ @@@EIEMEMIE @l @EIEIXIE Patented Sept. 4, 1934 vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Lenses Y ACOUSTIC CONSTRUCTION Richard Irvin, Pittsburgh, Pa. Application January 31, 1933, Serial No. 654,411

2 Claims. (Cl. 154-44) My invention relates to improvements in acouster are regularly spaced from each other providtic construction, and important objects thereof ing intersecting walls 4. Each'of the cavities 3 are to provide a construction of the character is rectangularly-shaped, and the walls thereof described, which is intended for use on walls and converge into an aperture 5 formed in the back- -ceilings for improving the acustics of a chamber ing board l. The provision of the apertures 5 60 equipped therewith, by modulating, absorbing, are not primarily essential but preferable. trapping and deadening disturbing sounds, echosY The backing board 1 is provided with a flexible and reverberations; which may be readily -and outer facing 6, which may be constructed from any quickly installed in buildings already constructed suitable thin sheet material. preferably sheet as well as form a component part of a new struc aluminum foil. The facing 5 is secured. to the 65 ture; which embodies a facing of iiexible sheet backing board front 2 by a suitable adherent material adherently secured in position and caagent. pable of being readily fashioned to conform to The facing 6 is preferably applied, not unlike any ornamental undulations of the surfaces ordinary wall paper, to a plurality of backing carrying the same. board panels, which latter have been previously 7G Further objects of the invention are to provide secured in position to a Wall or ceiling structure a structure of the class stated, which is simple in any suitable manner. in its construction and arrangement, readily It will here be noted that the conformation of cleaned, durable and eicient in its use, compact, the cavities 3 in the backing board 1 may be widely light in weight, and comparatively economical in Varied, even in the form of corrugations, Without $5 its manufacture, installation and maintenance. seriously Aaiiecting the acoustical efficiency of my With the foregoing and other objects in view improved construction. which will appear as the description proceeds, the However, the preferred rectangular conformainvention resides in the construction, combination of the cavities 3, in the manner described,

tion and arrangement of parts herein specifically provides maximum cavity area and minimum 8u Adescribed and illustrated in the accompanying intervening front surface areas of tht cavity drawing, but it is to be understood that the latter walls 4. The cavity Wall front surface areas is merely illustrative of an embodiment of the are restricted to an extent consistent with proinvention, and that the actual needs of manuviding essential and substantial areas, around facture and practice may necessitate certain meeach of the cavities 3, and are the contacting sur- 85 chanical variations. It is, therefore, not intended faces engaged when adherently securing the facto limit the invention to the disclosure thereof ing 6 to the front of the backing board 1. herein illustrated, but rather to define such limi- The entire area of the facing 6 is provided with tations in the claims hereunto appended. a multiplicity of perforations '7. The latter are In the drawing wherein like numerals of refer` very minute and barely discernible, whereby same Q0 ence designate corresponding parts throughout will not distort or destroy any superficial ornathe several views: l mental design, which may be displayed upon the Figure l is a front view of an acoustic panel, facing 6. with a portion of the facing broken away, con- In the embodiment of the invention disclosed 4g structed in accordance with the invention. in the drawing, a single facing perforation 7 is a5, Figure 2 isasectional view on line 2 2, Figure l. provided for each backing board cavity 3. The Referring in detail to the drawing l denotes a perforation 7 communicates with and is censupporting element comprising a comparatively trally disposed relatively to its respective cavthin backing board, which may be constructed ity 3. While such relative arrangement of the from any suitable material, preferably composicavities 3 and perforations '7 is irreal for maxi- 100 tion board and particularly board material emmum eiciency, the practical method of installing bodyls gyDSllm.. the construction renders the illustrated arrange- Thc backing board is preferably constructed in ment infeasible to a greet extent. However, the the form of rectangular panels in sizes best suited efficiency of my improved acoustical construction g to meet conditions facilitating its manufacture, is but slight'iy impaired the arrangement of the 105 handling, storage, transportation and installa.- facing perforations 'l is varied so that one or tion. more of the facing perforations communicate The front of the backing board l is formed with each cavity 3, or regardless of whether said throughout its area, with a multiplicity of uni# perforations are accurately centralized relativeformly arranged, very small cavities 3. The latly to respective cavities 3. 11o

In the assembly of the facing 6 with the backing board 1, in the manner stated, the portions of the former tensionally covering the cavities 3 in the latter, virtually constitute a multiplicity of vibrator diaphragms, which will vibrate in resonance with the frequency of the ether compression and rarecation of the sound waves. The

.small facing perforations 7, in conjunction with vso the cavity apertures 5, allows the air to pass through and around'r the diaphragms, thereby counteracting the vibratory movements of the terial covering said cavities and being adhesive= 1y secured to the front surface areas of the intervening walls of each of said cavities to provide a multiplicity of diaphragme capable of vibrating in resonance with the frequency of the air compression and rarelcetion of a sound wave, each of said diaphragms formed with a perforation communicating with respective cavi ties to allow ether to pass through and around said diaphragme to counteract the vibrations of the latter for damping the sound wave.

2. An acoustic construction comprisinga backing member provided with a multiplicity of sepa= rate cavities extending inwardly from the front surface thereof, a vibratory diaphragm of thin sheet material covering each of said cavitiesy and adhesively secured against the front surface area of the intervening walls of respective cavities, each of said diaphragms being perforated to allow the passage of ether through and around said diaphragms to counteract the vibrations of the latter for damping and depressing the sound wave.

RICHARD mm.

sesy 

